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Several weeks ago, the sample/flash sale site Zulily featured Isabella Oliver styles at some excellent prices. Earlier in my pregnancy, I ordered an Isabella Oliver maternity t-shirt that I’ve worn constantly, so I jumped on this wrap top. After a lengthy wait (like over a month), it finally showed up last week. By and large, the reviews for all Isabella Oliver wrap tops are great. That being said, there is a faction (sounds so evil, huh?) of women who complained there was a huge learning curve. I can see how the top can be intimidating. Basically it is like a 3/4 sleeve vest with ties longer than I am tall…and I’m pretty tall. Like some surreal type of origami, you wrap and knot the whole shebang into a tee that should cover with a body conscious fit.

Sport and athletic-inspired looks have been so big for the past few seasons. I didn’t really gravitate toward the look pre-pregnancy, but then I saw these studded track pants from Asos. Over the top? A bit, maybe. Comfortable? Yes. Easy to style? Well, I thought they would be, yet I’ve had a really hard time with them. No matter what I’ve paired the pants with, nothing has felt natural and easy. We’re having a cool, rainy Texas day today, so I made it my mission to wear the darned pants that have been pining to see the light of day for a couple of months.

I love destructed jeans. There. I said it. To say that I’m glad they’re back is an understatement. Maybe it’s my coming of age during the era of Hair Bands. Who knows? I’ll readily admit that this look isn’t for everyone, and it’s especially not your stereotypical maternity look. And that’s why I love it. It’s me–pregnant or not. Continue reading →

During my first pregnancy, I got through the first two trimesters with my pre-pregnancy jeans, pants, and skirts paired with Bellabands from Ingrid & Isabel. I loved them, so why I never thought to look at the company’s other maternity styles is completely beyond me. This time around, I’ve been a major Ingrid & Isabel devotee…like three orders in three weeks devotee. I’ve largely been guessing the sizes I needed because I’ve found very few Ingrid & Isabel reviews out there. Honestly, I think it may be hard to go wrong with their sizing for the most part. It’s often forgiving. Nevertheless, I thought it might be helpful to review the products I’ve purchased. It may help one of you when the time comes. I’m also going to break this up into several posts. Continue reading →

As I mentioned last week, my Tracy Anderson Pregnancy Project Nine Month Stretch kit from Mama Mio came with trial pack of pregnancy “essentials”: Boob Tube bust and neck firmer, Tummy Rub Butter, and Lucky Legs cooling peppermint lotion. All three are supposed to temper the ravages of pregnancy (my words, not theirs) on your body. I’ve written about Mama Mio products in the past for various blogs but had never actually tried them. This was the perfect time!

Boob Tube–Would Re-Buy
This lightweight cream is billed as a product to firm and promote elasticity in the breast, chest, and neck areas. Honestly, I don’t expect anything short of surgery to firm and lift breasts. Perhaps it has a longterm cumulative effect? Despite my skepticism, I really did love Boob Tube. The sample lasted well over two weeks, applying 8 pumps total to the entire decolletage and neck area. I applied it at night after my shower. On morning one, I noticed that my decolletage was much softer and smoother. I chocked it up to residual cream on the skin but even after showering, the effect was still there. I never saw a visible difference (I do have some sun damage) but the change in my skin’s texture was enough to sell me on it. I would like to buy a larger bottle to try for a longer period of time.

Tummy Rub Butter–Won’t Re-Buy
Although many reports have shown that there’s nothing you can do to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, I still religiously applied a stretch mark cream with my first pregnancy. I came away with nary a stretch mark, so I’m doing the same this time just to be safe. I usually just pick up either Burt’s Bees Belly Butter or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. Despite the much higher price tag, I was happy to use the Mama Mio Tummy Rub Butter. It smelled lovely–a little herbaceous in a good way. The trial-size tube was small and only lasted a week, applying it to my stomach and hips nightly. It did feel moisturizing and relieved the itch that seems to start the moment your bump begins to stretch the skin. For the $38-$48 price tag, however, it didn’t do anything better than the other belly butters I’ve tried. While I liked the scent of this one much more than that of the Burt’s Bees and Palmer’s, I’ll just stick with the products in a lower price point.

Lucky Legs–Would Re-BuyPeppermint foot and leg creams are a dime a dozen, it seems. They all do the same thing for the most part–cool tired legs–and few have lasting effects. The Mama Mio Lucky Legs cream was like a mint lotion on steroids. According to the ingredients list, it contains both spearmint and menthol, along with things like lavadin, cypress, and yarrow that are supposed to be anti-inflammatory and generally great for swollen legs. At $19.50 per bottle, it’s not the cheapest leg and foot cream out there but it’s not the most expensive either. I don’t have a lot of swelling right now but my legs do feel tired and heavy at night in a way unlike how they feel when I’m not pregnant (un-pregnant? sans baby? without child?). Lucky Legs really seems fantastic. I look forward to applying it every night. I plan to buy more for sure.

Even taking into account my lukewarm opinion of the Tummy Rub Butter, the Mama Mio line holds promise. I will certainly be game to try more products in the future. It isn’t exactly cheap but I don’t mind spending a bit more when the products stand out like the Boob Tube and Lucky Legs. Have you tried any of the Mama Mio line? What did you think?

One of the few things that excited me about moving to Texas was the prospect of being near a Zara boutique. I love their edgy trendiness (and the prices). One of my first purchases was their ubiquitous camouflage skinnies. (Is there a blogger that doesn’t have them?) As it turns out, I was pregnant the day that I bought them. Form-fitting to begin with, these were the first pants that necessitated the Bellaband the moment I gained a few pounds. Still, I think they work. The camo trend doesn’t appear to have legs in terms of lasting appeal, so they served their purpose. Oh, and this photo was taken at 15 weeks pregnant. Continue reading →